February Genreflecting: Romance: The Details

Based on the Collins English Dictionary, a subgenre is "a category that is a subdivision of a larger genre." (Source) Romance is a complicated and yet fundamental part of the young adult experience. There are so many changes going on during that time in a young person's life, so naturally we have a whole genre dedicated to it! Primarily, romance books tend to fall into one of these subgenres: contemporary, chick lit, historical & serial. While the others are self-explanatory, that last one actually covers two types of serial romances: the first type follows one character's love life while the other one follows a different individual from a specific group during each book.

One of my absolute favorite contemporary romances is Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Leviathan & Rachel Cohn. These two created an incredible book that volleys between its two protagonists to tell the story. Here's a snippet about how this awesome book came to be:

One day David and I were having lunch together and I mentioned that I had a vague idea for a book: I wanted to write about two New Jersey, straight-edge characters named Nick and Norah (after the Thin Man movies) who would meet at a music club in Manhattan. I wanted to follow their adventures throughout the one night, and just see what would happen. ... We didn’t plan any of the book out in advance, we just picked up each chapter where the other left off, and I think the fun David and I found in writing to challenge one another translated into a true adventure for Nick and Norah – just like a real first date, where there can be great chemistry, but you really have no idea if it will turn out well or not. You can only dive in and hope. -Rachel Cohn's website

And while I'm not an outright fan of romances, almost anything set in a historical time wins my vote. That's why Anna Godbersen's The Luxe series was so perfect for me. In an interview on Galleysmith she explained why she liked writing historical books:

When I was a bookish teen, I loved novels set in other times, other realities, other universes. So that’s part of it—being able to create this world that looks and smells and sounds different than the one my readers and I walk around in every day. I want to transport them, and myself. And then, once you’re there, the historical setting means that the realities of life, the situations my characters are going to find themselves in, will often be ones you couldn't have in a contemporary setting, which is exciting stuff for a writer! Very plot-friendly.

So there you have it. A little insight into the world of romance books. What are your favorite types of romance? Do you enjoy a heart-wrenching roller coaster or a more subdued novel? Be sure to check back next week when I review Forever by Judy Blume. 

February Genreflecting: Romance: The Basics

I wanted to do a reading challenge for the subject of Genreflecting, but I didn't get much feedback (maybe because it asked you to read 2 books for each genre and discuss them or because it's not really a "reading challenge" per se, but more an educational experiment), so I've turned it into a monthly feature! For each month of 2013, there will be a specific genre that will be analyzed. I'm planning to have author input and at least 2 reviews of books in the genre as well.

February's genre is Romance! While many if not most YA books have some romance in them, the books in that fit in this genre revolve around the romantic elements. Rather than focusing on the experiences of life, these books focus on the emotions and what is more emotional than young love? A key difference between YA and adult romance though is that in YA books, it's not all about the happily ever after or the hot & heavy action. These books handle the emotional build-up to creating a romance more than the outcome of said romance. (paraphrased from Teen Genreflecting 3, 2010)

A few of my favorite authors you may recognize in this genre are:
Meg Cabot (The Princess Diaries)
Anna Godbersen (The Luxe)
Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry)
Jandy Nelson (The Sky is Everywhere) (Interview)

I'm excited to say that I've chosen my two books, one older and one newer, to read for this challenge. The older book is Forever by Judy Blume (originally published in 1999) and I'll have a review and analysis up on Friday, February 15th. The newer book is Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway (originally published in 2008) and I'll have a review and analysis up on Friday, February 22nd. I'll also be hosting a giveaway, so stay tuned!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Lucky Ones (Bright Young Things #3) by Anna Godbersen

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week I am really excited about the third installment in Anna Godbersen's Bright Young Things series. You may remember that I really loved her Luxe series & this one is no different. And while I haven't had a chance to read the 2nd book in this current series (Beautiful Days) it has been on my TBR pile for a bit. That being said, I think I'm coming up on a historical fiction mood, so this may get bumped up. As a result I'm revealing what little information there is for The Lucky Ones due out September 18th.

Letty's rising star is threatened by a new rival...

Astrid's relationship with Charlie takes a dark turn...

And Cordelia vows revenge against the Hales - once and for all...

From Goodreads

While that's not much to go on, considering what little I know from the first book & the summary of the second, this is going to be one doozy of an installment. Have you read these? What do you think? Do you prefer one series over the other. And, as always, what are you waiting on this week?  

Waiting on Wednesday: Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

I am wickedly excited for the October 18th release of Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel. This book sounds like Gail Carriger's world mixed with Anna Godbersen's style. Just read the blurb to discover what I mean.

Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune, and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, steampunk meets romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.

From Goodreads

I know that's a longer than usual blurb, but I think it takes that much to really give you the feel for the book. There are so many facets to this world that I'm hopeful the author pulled it all together without overloading the reader. These elements have the potential to create a wonderfully melodic series & I hope to hear more from this author soon. As for now, I'm eagerly awaiting October 18th. What are you waiting on this week?

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen review

It's 1929, do you know who you're getting your liquor from? It's probably from one of the dapper men & their socialite wives/girlfriends that you dream about one day being. For Cordelia & Letty, that is exactly the case.

The two girls are enchanted by the big lights they've heard about in New York City & decide to head out of their Midwestern home to search out what each is looking for in life. For Cordelia, she is searching for the father she has always missed, but never known. She has his name & her love-struck, deceased mother's memories to help her. Little does she know, the man she is seeking is none other than one of the most influential men in the bootlegging business. It turns out he's missed the daughter he never knew about just as much as the son he raised himself. Cordelia finds herself settling into this luxurious life, but is worried about the danger and the cost.

Letty is destined for stardom or she hopes at least. The girl is determined to see her name in flashing lights on Broadway. What she settles for, just to get started she thinks, is living with three other cigarette girls who work in a local club. On a lark one night she decides to get on stage & really show the crowd what she's got. This garners her two admirers, one who is interested in her purely for herself & another who has other ideas. Letty must decide who to trust because depending on her choice, she may lose her chance to be who she's always wanted to become.

These girls are just getting started and have a long way to go before they'll find their own ways, but only time will tell just how far they'll go to get what they want out of life.

Bright Young Things is written much in the same style as Godbersen's wildly-popular Luxe series. We are following two main female characters as they interact & navigate the changing world around them, while a third female manages to become an important person to both female leads all on her own.

I enjoyed the changing perspective as well as the lush setting. Nothing can quite compare to the roaring 1920's with the ambiance, parties, & experiences that are exclusive to the time period. Godbersen continues her incredible ability to weave an alluring setting with exacting detail. The seedy clubs, lavish parties & picturesque homes aren't spared at all. One can truly imagine it all laid out in front.

I found it a little harder to get a handle on the main characters. It's not that they were unsympathetic, but they just seemed so distant. I felt like we were really getting to know them as they were discovering themselves. Normally this kind of thing appeals to me, but in such a historical setting it didn't lend itself quite so well. I thought the girls would feel well0established then get the rug pulled out from under them, but this was just... different.

There were also three very different experiences that kind of overlap one another that caused a bit of confusion for me. While Cordelia was ushered into a lifestyle that Astrid was accustomed to, Letty was living as a starving artist. While they intermingled with some of the same locations, they all had divergent interactions that left me feeling a bit befuddled.

None of this is to say that it is a bad book, it is far from it. Godbersen has done a fine job & I am eagerly awaiting the September 20th release of Bright Days. I think that this book requires an attentive mind frame that I was lacking at the time, but that I fully intend on having engaged when I read the sequel.

Anyone else feel a little off-kilter with this one or was I just reading too much into it?

Waiting on Wednesday: Beautiful Days (Bright Young Things #2) by Anna Godbersen

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

I'm patiently awaiting the September 20th arrival of Anna Godbersen's Beautiful Days (Bright Young Things #2). I read the first book & while not as enrapturing as the Luxe series, this one did have all the same hallmarks. There was a variable ensemble of characters & a unique twist on bootlegging/flapper society of the late 1920's. Read on for the blurb, but be forewarned, it contains MAJOR spoilers for Bright Young Things.

For the bright young things of 1929, the beautiful days seem endless, filled with romance and heartbreak, adventure and intrigue, friendship and rivalry.

After a month in New York, Cordelia Grey and Letty Larkspur are small-town girls no longer. They spend their afternoons with Astrid Donal at the Greys’ lush Long Island estate and their nights in Manhattan’s bustling metropolis. But Letty’s not content to be a mere socialite. She is ready at last to chase her Broadway dreams—no matter the cost.

Cordelia is still reeling from the death of her father at the hands of Thom Hale, the man she thought she loved. Now she is set to honor Darius Grey’s legacy . . . and take her revenge.

Promised to Cordelia’s half brother, Astrid is caught up in a world of dazzling jewels and glittering nights—and the sparkle is blinding. Charlie Grey is a gangster playing a dangerous game; and for Astrid, Cordelia, and Letty, the stakes could be deadly.

From Goodreads

I enjoyed the first book & look forward to picking up where the story left off. If things are going the way I think they are, this could turn into a very exciting story. What are you waiting on this week?

Splendor by Anna Godbersen

This was the exciting conclusion to The Luxe series. It concludes the story following the life and times of Manhattan's socially elite. If you have missed any of the other installments talking about the first 3 books, then check them out: The Luxe (book 1), Rumors (book 2) and Envy (book 3). This review will contain series spoilers and the links will contain spoilers for any book previous to the one you're reading.

So now that you have been thoroughly warned, let the final review begin!

We start out following Elizabeth as she settles into her new role as the young, and expecting, wife of close family friend Snowden Cairns. While she is pregnant, Elizabeth is not to out in society much for fear of what the stress may due to her or her child. After having been cooped up in her banal home, her husband decides to take her for a carriage ride where she is given the wonderful surprise of a new home.

As the moving commences and Elizabeth is setting up her new home, she comes across some disturbing information. Not only was the land that she and Will stayed on in California rich with oil, but it was in their names. Also, a strange caller comes to collect payment for keeping a very important, and mysterious, secret quiet. She is no longer sure of who she married and will pay dearly for her mistake.

Diana managed to escape her humdrum life for traveling the world. While everyone back home believes her to be polishing herself up in Paris for her societal debut, she is really chasing after Henry, who joined the military to escape his wife, the manipulative Penelope Hayes. After months of working menial jobs while searching for Henry, her hard work pays off. They spend a few bliss-filled days in each others' arms until they are discovered and shipped back to New York. Unfortunately, after having seen the real world and all its workings, Diana is no longer suited to remain where she grew up. Her chance to escape comes, but with a price.

Penelope has adjusted well to her predicament. While a fake miscarriage from a fake pregnancy kept her out of the lime light for quite some time, she finds herself at the center of a growing scandal. During her first outing since "the unfortunate occurrence" she manages to snag the attention of none other than the Prince of Bavaria. She pursues him with the ardor that she once chased Henry with, but it backfires. Even with Henry's compliance, an unexpected event turns them all on their heads and changes their trajectories.

And poor Carolina Broad, formerly Lina Broud and a servant in the Holland household, just doesn't know what to do with herself. After the death of her kind supporter Carey Lewis Longhorn, Carolina became a very rich woman. She inherited all that he had and is living the life she always dreamed of. Fine dresses, gorgeous parties, and chasing the man of her dreams is no small task and Carolina completes them with grace and poise. That is, until a certain sales clerk walks back into her life and makes her think twice about who she really wants to be.

All of this is spun with the same fanfare and panasche as the other books. A truly delightful end to a fantastic series. Splendor wraps it all up and lets you move on with closure.

Envy by Anna Godbersen

This is book number three in a four part historical fiction series. Naturally, if you have not read the first or second books, then spoilers may lie ahead for you. Check out my review of the first novel, The Luxe, the second novel, Rumors, and then come back to catch up on the new gossip!

What's a girl to do? Diana just can't stomach the fact that Penelope muscled her way back into Henry's life in one of the most important social positions in town, Mrs. Henry Schoonmaker. Now that's not to say that Henry has given up on being with Diana, it just means that it is now more tricky than ever and one false move could set the whole house of cards tumbling down on their heads: leaving Diana in ruins, her reputation forever tarnished, Henry would be left looking like a fool, and Penelope would wind up looking like the saint that she most certainly was not.

Elizabeth is desolate at the loss of her beloved husband Will Keller. A worse atrocity is the fact that she cannot publicly recognize him as what he truly was to her and the whole town believes that he had kidnapped her. With the family on the brink of financial ruin, Elizabeth is running out of options to help her family survive. That is until her father's mining partner comes into the picture, and not a moment too soon because Elizabeth is hiding more than just the truth about Will, she's also hiding a part of him.

Carolina Broad, the former Holland attendant Lina Broud, is being to really understand what it takes to get along in this catty world. While she has learned to talk and act like the women she once looked up to, and can now dress like one thanks to her benefactor Carey Lewis Longhorn, Carolina is still on the outskirts. Though if she manages to capture her love interest, fortune may favor her after all.

To escape the horrible winter of New York, our little caravan of fun travels to the Royal Ponciana Hotel in sunny Palm Beach, Florida. There are parties, distractions, and every scandal one can imagine. Sadly not even the sun can keep them from their societal duties when they are all forced to return home for Carey Lewis Longhorn's untimely funeral. Where does this leave our quarry?

As well written as the first two, Envy continues to wow with tales of fantastic balls, daring plans, and romance to make even the hardest hearts swoon. Turn of the century Manhattan, and even Palm Beach, come into staggering view in this opulent world. The accuracy is incredible and denotes a well-researched subject.

The girls continue to captivate the boys' attentions in every manner, both appropriate and not, imaginable. Penelope remains the shallow gold-digger while Carolina begins to prove her worth. The Holland sisters just stay steady in this novel, doing their very best to struggle through their heart-aches and financial difficulties. I found them slightly less appealing in this novel I think due in large part to the heavy focus that is always centered on them. This time I immensely enjoyed getting to know Carolina and the boys more than we usually do.

Really this book was kind of like a bridge to me. Not a whole lot happened in the novel until the very end and it felt like filler to get to the end of the series. The characters behaved according and the story progressed towards the ending, but not in any big way. Overall it was still a wonderful book, it just felt a little lacking in action.

Rumors by Anna Godbersen

This is book number two in a four part historical fiction series. Naturally, if you have not read the first one, then spoilers may lie ahead for you. Check out my review of the first novel, The Luxe, and then come back to catch up on the new gossip!

Would you die for another life? Well that's exactly what Elizabeth Holland did. With the aid of "frenemy" Penelope Hayes, Elizabeth managed to convince the whole of New York (including her reluctant fiance Henry Schoonmaker & her treacherous former lady's maid Lina Broud) that she took a terrible spill in a coach accident and fell to the bottom of the Hudson River. All of this deception was necessary in order for Elizabeth to maintain her family's good name as Penelope had uncovered that Elizabeth was in love with William Keller, the Holland family stable-boy. Penelope helped Elizabeth escape New York so that she could be with Will, while Penelope stayed behind and watched her own star rise.

Also remaining behind are those mourning Elizabeth, like her younger sister Diana. Fortunately though, Diana is not mourning her sister's loss for real because she knows what really happened. She goes through the motions on a kind of auto-pilot to keep up appearances, but really she is sneaking any and all spare time to be with Henry Schoonmaker. Her sister may have been betrothed to him, but neither one wanted the match. So as luck would have it, Henry got to meet and fall in love with Diana as a side-effect to being engaged to Elizabeth. Unfortunately it is not nearly as easy to be together as it should considering that neither Diana nor Henry are really supposed to be seen during their time of mourning and even if they could be seen, Penelope has yet to give up on winning Henry's heart back. At whatever the cost.

Lina Broud is also trying to obtain something no matter the cost. She is trying to break into the social elite scene, but is having trouble finding an in. She doesn't have much money as she can only work odd jobs and she doesn't have all the finery that is required to even be considered worth accommodating at most tea rooms. That is until her luck changes. She manages to amuse the ailing Carey Lewis Longhorn and he takes her in as his pet project. He gets her in to the opera and fancy parties, which is what she needs to succeed in a society that is based off of your social standing.

Secrets, lies, love, and even sometimes death are all mixed together in this enthralling second installment of The Luxe series. Anna Godbersen continues her amazing tale with lovable, and detestable, characters. Each of them is representative of their time period in different fashions. As the older crowd, Henry, Elizabeth, and Penelope are all bound by societal rules, whereas Diana and Lina seem to be striking out on their own in a more forward-thinking way. I feel a natural draw towards Diana. Her free-spiritedness is just too reminiscent of how I very my own youth (am I really old enough to say that now?) and it makes me wonder about what I would have been like during this time period. I could really do without the Lina Broud storyline though. I understand that she is representative of the emerging middle class during this time period, but I just can't really stand her. She irks me too badly. The rest of the characters fall in line with what I would expect from them, which could get repetitive, but the situations they constantly find themselves in are what make the story so captivating.

It is a real pleasure watching these characters as they grow and change in their roles. My favorite part of the whole book is the very beginning, because just like with the first book, the author essentially tells you the end without giving anything away and I just love trying to figure out how we end up at that scene as I read the book. Really, there is nothing in this series that I don't like (except for Lina Broud's story). The setting is magnificent as it really captures the time and character of Manhattan. The little snippets from daily papers are a wonderful addition and always so well done. All in all this is a very well done book and series and I am looking forward to writing my next reviews!

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Smiling at a funeral? Who ever heard of such a thing? Yet that is just what Diana Holland does at her sister's, the ever popular Elizabeth Holland, funeral. And so begins the story and drama surrounding the lives of these upper class Manhattan socialites.

Diana is the young misfit of a well-to-do family who just can't seem to keep her mind out of the books and on finding a good husband. Elizabeth is her older sister and the perfect representation of her station, except she harbors love for someone she is forbidden to be with.

Henry Schoonmaker is a dashing young man who prefers his drinks strong and his women sneaky. While continually locking horns with his father, Henry soon finds himself in a love quadruplet. Three women all vying for different things from him and Henry just wants to be left alone.

Penelope Hayes is the Elizabeth's best friend and her worst enemy. The conniving, wealthy, spoiled prima donna will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Unfortunately for her, what she wants doesn't always behave.

Lina Broud is a maid in the Holland household. She has been brought up waiting hand and foot on these girls and not really gaining much for it. Her luck is about to change.

And do begins the wildly torrid four part book series about Manhattan's finest families. Did I mention that this all takes place around the turn of the century? The 20th century? That's right folks all this drama, gossip, slander, and sultry love takes place as the characters enter the year 1900. A seductive and spellbinding read that will have you thirsting for more, The Luxe is just the first book in the series. Make sure you check out the next two with the final installment due out this October.